by Jordan Brown

Created on: May 06, 2008

BLAME By Jordan Brown

In life, sometimes unexpected things happen. Who's fault is it? Why do we have

to blame someone anyway?

It's human nature to want to blame someone for what happens, but just because it's human

nature doesn't make it right. When good things happen we like to think it's because of us but

when bad things occur it always has to be someone else's fault. We never stop to think that

maybe there is no fault. Maybe there is no one to blame. At times it is the person's own

doing that causes them to make rash decisions. The decisions they make may not only affect

them but the lives of others too. So, when we become aware of an event that is horrible and

tragic, one that we didn't expect, whether it happens to us or to someone we know, we should

stop and think before we make assumptions about blaming others.

If a person runs out into traffic and gets hit by a car, is it the driver's fault?

If someone doesn't study for a test is it the teacher's fault that they fail? Many would

think yes to both of these questions, but really think about it. If we want to assess blame,

we have to look at ourselves first. Could I have stopped my friend from running out into

traffic? Were there warning signs that my friend was careless or emotionally unstable enough

to run out into traffic and possibly get killed by a car? If so, am I to blame? Before I

blame the driver of the car, maybe I should blame myself for not warning my friend. What

about the person who didn't study? Did I call that person or text that person and keep them

from them from studying, so now they fail? Before I blame the teacher, maybe I should think

about my involvement with the person and how I could have added to the decisions they made.

So, in these instances and others, would throwing hateful words to innocent

bystanders be appropriate or do we need to recognize that sometimes life just happens while

we are living it and it isn't anybody's fault? At times we need to realize some things happen

because of choice, and there was nothing you can do about it. There is nowhere else we can

look but at the person who made that choice. Blame isn't meant to be thrown around every time

something goes wrong.

Life is too short and things happen too fast for us to spend our time looking for

someone to blame and trying to find fault, and we let life slip right through our hands.

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